Chapter 594: Chapter 548: Beiyuan Forest
Ning Feiyan’s injuries erupted, and she could hardly protect herself, let alone pay attention to Hong Zhuang. Furthermore, seeing her languid appearance, Baili An believed she had energy to spare and wouldn’t waste effort to rescue her.
Baili An and Hong Zhuang weren’t close, so naturally, he wouldn’t meddle and try to rescue her from the Demon Clan’s Water Dungeon without measuring his own capabilities.
However, disguised as a cat, he could take the opportunity to pay a visit.
The Demon World Water Dungeon stood beneath a gloomy well, where the chilly water and feathers vanished without a trace. The wind smoothed the cold, mirror-like surface of the water, perpetually reflecting a waning moon.
The gloomy well was constrained by eight huge chains.
The eight chains radiated a silver, metallic sheen.
Under the moonlight, their ancient and mysterious patterns faintly emitted an elusive dragon might.
The chains of this cell were transformed from the spines of eight different Chi Dragons.
Since the last True Dragon fell in the South Sea five thousand years ago, freezing the vast sea domain which has not thawed to this day, even the Chi Dragon descendants living under Mount Tianzhu gradually disappeared along with the True Dragon’s fall.
Creatures from ancient myths were thus turned into an array, accompanying the cold and dead silence of the gloomy well.
The craftsmanship of the Demon World was extraordinary.
Baili An crossed those eight chains, and strangely, did not trigger the Array. When he appeared inside the Water Dungeon, the demon guard who was guarding the territory was visibly shocked.
Using Dragon Bones for the Array and Dragon Souls for the Spell, even the Six Rivers of the Demon World would need considerable effort to rashly breach this Water Dungeon.
And yet, this silent cat that appeared before them hadn’t triggered any fluctuation in the Array.
If one said that crossing through the barrier made from those eight Dragon Souls’ spines was a young True Dragon, they wouldn’t exhibit such shock.
The True Dragon was the imperial ruler among the Dragon Clan, a supreme being. Even the Azure Dragon, among the four constellation guardians, could only bow in subservance before a True Dragon.
Despite being of high rank in the Dragon Clan, even when given the Demon Order and guarding the territory again, they were often subdued by the dragon might within those Chi Dragon spines.
Such a small creature, completely unaffected?
They didn’t know that Baili An carried a mark of ownership even more revered than that of Dragon Bone.
Since the mark didn’t disappear, the True Dragon was his protector Divine Beast, and he was the master of the True Dragon.
Don’t mention being affected by the dragon might here. Even when he was near the gloomy well, he could clearly sense a servile aura within the Dragon Bones.
A demon guard with twin horns coldly stared at Baili An, his hand pressing on his blade, seemingly ready to execute the foolish creature that dared to intrude into the Forbidden Land on the spot.
Beside him, a long-horned demon guard sensed his intent to kill and, his expression changing subtly, said, “Are you insane? That’s the Demon Lord’s beloved cat. If you harm it, do you not value your own head?”
The twin-horned demon soldier sneered, his gaze locking onto Baili An, “A mere little demon pet dares to intrude the Demon World Water Dungeon. Even if the Demon Lord finds out, justice must be enforced!”
The long-horned demon guard made a sound, his expression strange, “You have been stationed in this Water Dungeon recently and are not aware of many things in the city; just five days ago, Young Lord gave this little cat demon a lashing. Later, when the Demon Lord found out, he almost had Young Lord executed by dismemberment. Now, he has been sent to receive treatment at Duke Jialu’s.”
The twin-horned demon guard’s expression stiffened, astonished and agitated, “His Majesty would go so far for a cat, to lay such a severe hand on his own brother?”
He quickly withdrew his hand from his blade.
The long-horned demon guard hummed a laugh, eyeing the foolish fellow askew, “So if you think you have more face than Young Lord, feel free to butcher the cat.”
The twin-horned demon guard’s face turned embarrassed, no longer daring to act rashly. He pondered awkwardly, “Intruding into the dungeon without orders is a grave offense; are we to simply ignore this cat?”
“It’s just a cat; could it possibly breakout prisoners? Although it’s just a beast, in terms of status, you and I should both address it reverently. Just wait until this cat owner grows bored and leaves; won’t the issue resolve itself? Don’t be so rigid as a demon.”
Thus, under the watchful eyes of the two agreed demon guards, Baili An walked with a cat’s gait, slipping into the dark depths of the dungeon.
The place was chillingly moist, the air thick with a strong scent of blood.
Baili An was particularly sensitive to the smell of blood. Following the familiar scent in the air, he soon found Hong Zhuang.
In the dungeon, where no candles were lit and only a sliver of moonlight passed through the iron bars of a skylight, one could barely see the walls, black as wrought iron, covered with pitch-black thorns.
On the ground lay white bones of the Demon Clan, and the not-so-large dungeon already bore semblance to a fraction of Hell.
Hong Zhuang was suspended against a wall of thorns, her head drooping, long hair matted with blood turning strands after strands, and half her horrifying face was slashed by some blunt instrument, creating a large gash.
The half-moon mask she usually wore to cover her face was tossed aside, seeming trampled upon, shattered into pieces.
Sharp, slender silver hooks penetrated her wrists, and the wounds turned faintly black.
It seemed that the silver hooks were poisoned.
“Hong Zhuang,” Baili An softly called.
The woman on the wall moved slightly, her eyelashes fluttering as she calmly looked at the cat without saying a word.
Baili An jumped onto the thorns and from his mouth spit out a small pill. Using his paw, he hooked it and brought it to her lips, “This is a long-life pill, it can heal injuries.”